Chelsea transfer news: Blues are interested in West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell... but probably not for £20million

Price-tag appears high for a player who cost £2m less than a year ago

Chelsea have been linked with West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell this morning and in recent weeks.

With Filipe Luis agitating for a move out of Stamford Bridge and Chelsea always aware of their need for English talent to fill European homegrown quotas, the 25-year-old would appear to kill two birds with one stone.

In his debut season in the Premier League Cresswell has been one of the standout players for Sam Allardyce's team, scoring two goals and adding a decent haul of four assits.

Cresswell has been an ever-present for the Hammers, starting all 33 Premier League games, and has been a solid defensive presence.

Reports this morning state that West Ham will sell if Chelsea make a £20m bid for the left-back - that seems a bit unlikely.

As Jose Mourinho has stated many times over in the past year, Chelsea are no longer able to spend whatever money they want to bring players in because of Financial Fair Play. They still have spending power, of course, but it is directly linked to the players they sell and the value they get for those players.

Last summer Chelsea bought Luis, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Loic Remy for a combined £85m, but they also sold David Luiz, Romelu Lukaku, Demba Ba and Patrick van Aanholt for around £84m.

In January they bought Juan Cuadrado for a fee rising to £27m - but only after selling Andre Schurrle and Ryan Bertrand and sending Mohamed Salah the other way.

Filipe Luis has only started seven Premier League matches this season (GETTY IMAGES)

Filipe Luis looks set to leave in the summer, but already 29 and having only started seven Premier League matches this season he is not likely to be sold for more than the £15.8m Chelsea bought him for last season.

The Blues bought him at the peak of his market value, when he was the first-choice for then Spanish champions and Champions League runners-up Atletico Madrid, the team with the meanest defence in Europe last season.

Cesar Azpilicueta is the firm No 1 choice at left-back and although he is right-footed and current right-back Branislav Ivanovic is ageing at 31, Cresswell doesn't look good enough right now to make it into the Chelsea first team.

Cresswell was bought for £2m on 3 July last year and while he has proved he is an excellent Premier League left- back, he hasn't done nearly enough to see his value increase 10 times. West Ham obviously want to keep Cresswell and are likely using the high fee as a way to scare off their London rivals, or promote a bidding war with Manchester City who are also believed to be keen.

Chelsea might want him, but not for £20m.